Profiling landforms actively involves students in measuring the topography of landforms such as beaches, hillsides, and stream embankments. In this activity, the author describes how to set up an inquiry situation in which students can ask questions, seek answers, and develop explanations about seasonal or weather-related changes in the landscape.…

A wind vane is a tool for making observations of wind direction and initiating inquiries about the weather. Its construction and use continue to be mainstays of the science education of elementary students. By providing students with the opportunity to discern critical features associated with the wind vane's operation, you can ensure that…

The SATELLITES program uses geospatial technologies to study surface temperatures of Earth's materials, such as sand, soil, grass, and water. Data are collected using Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) protocols, which are then used in research projects that are a part of the International Polar Year (IPY).…

In this article, the author shares her experience in successfully teaching elementary students how to create a tornado using a guided-inquiry approach. The guided-inquiry approach is a form of teaching in which the teacher poses the question, but lets the students decide how to answer the question. Students were so excited about the process they…